Overenrolled yet again
What happens when too many young people accept our offer of admission? Reorganizing, reconstruction and headaches for the powers that be.

Tara Rajiyah '06

Over the past few years enrollment has exceeded the target number set by the admissions office. Last year, school opened with ten students above the target. This year, we opened with 616 students instead of the targeted 608 students, due in part to the unprecedented yield of new sophomores.

Dean of Admission Patricia Gimbel said, "Some of our peer schools have been overenrolled by 20 or 30 students; other schools are [un]able to fill all their beds; so comparatively Deerfield is doing very well. We are fortunate it remains a top choice for many!"

In an effort to accommodate more students, the hall common rooms in Field, Barton, and Scaife have been transformed into doubles. Dean of Students Wendy Bradley praised the physical plant, which "has bent over backwards [to make these changes]," she said.

Since common space is important, the deans have spruced up the basement common rooms in these dorms by adding 57-inch televisions and extra seating, working DVD-players, and ping pong tables with new balls and paddles. Each larger hall will also be appropriated extra feed money and SPAM will treat it to a night-out.

Common room space has also been used as an area for the associate faculty residents. Now every hallway without a common room has internet connections and a wall-mounted desk for associates.

The Admissions Office's goal is to have common rooms on each hall. This fall, Mrs. Gimbel will present a five-year enrollment plan to the Board of Trustees' Committee on Admission and Financial Aid. The plan will ultimately reduce the size of the student body to 598.

As published in the September 14, 2005 issue of the Deerfield Scroll, the monthly newspaper of Deerfield Academy.